Do You Ever Want to Run Away?

I said, “If only I had wings like a dove – I would fly away and find rest. Indeed, I would run far away. I would stay in the desert. I would hurry to find shelter from the raging wind and storm.” [Psalm 55:6-8 (GW)]

Do we ever outgrow the urge to run away from it all when life gets really messy or complicated? We may not literally pack our bags but we do quit our jobs, change where we live, disconnect from those who love us, retreat into work or the internet, or even get a divorce. Some people escape by turning to obsessive or addictive behavior. We may run from our problems by concealing our feelings, hiding behind a façade of serenity, or even by denying their very existence, thinking if we don’t admit them we won’t have to face them. Instead of running away, however, we need to run to someone; we need to run to God!

But I call on God, and the Lord saves me. … Turn your burdens over to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble. [Psalm 55:16, 22 (GW)]

When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer. [Corrie ten Boom]